Diverse group of high school students speaking with each other in a meeting.

Principal’s Advisory Council: Develop Structures that Elevate Student Voice in Equitable Ways

Inflexion February 24, 2023

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When we listen, we hear the stories people share that show their deeply held beliefs and the way they see the world.

– Margaret Wheatley

INTRO

During a Crowdsource Webinar on December 15, 2022, Carmen Gelman, Director of Professional Development, Coalition of Oregon School Administrators (COSA), discussed the importance of student voice and how to create equitable structures to maximize its use in decision-making. Carmen shared how she set up structures and student advisory committees that truly represent all student groups, and how she used these structures to make leadership decisions.

OBJECTIVES

Review the guidance and information about establishing a Principal’s Advisory Council

Start planning and developing a Principal’s Advisory Council for your school

RESOURCES

CROWDSOURCE WEBINAR VIDEO CLIP: Principal’s Advisory Council (7 min)

TOOLKIT: Unpacking “All” Protocol: Making Sure We Actually Serve ALL Students

TOOLKIT: Use Another Word: Incorporating Student Voice in Key Decisions at All Levels

TOOLKIT: PBIS: Building a Schoolwide System Around Shared Identity & Expectations

REFLECTION

Do students feel empowered to influence decision-making at your school?
If so, do those voices represent all students at your school or just a small group?

STEPS & GUIDANCE

Use protocols, systems, and structures for convening
Establish group norms
- Start by giving students clear examples
- Have students add any norms or take away ones
- How do we as a group address if these norms aren’t being followed?
Practice conversation and listening
Use pronouns as a voluntary practice while establishing allyship
Establish/re-establish relationships
- Ask how do we come together as a community to learners
- Give students opportunities to learn more about each others’ stories outside of their groups so they can be better advocates
Stay curious about one another
Conversations is the natural way for humans to think together
It can be messy at times
End with a closing prompt

Categories: Leadership Activities, Organizational Structures

Tags: 21st Century Leadership, Effective Leadership, Inclusive Leadership, Inclusive Practices, School Leaders, Student Empowerment, Student Experience

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A bBack male, Latina female, and White male high school students smiling.

Use Another Word: Incorporating Student Voice in Key Decisions at All Levels

When Carmen Gelman—Ms. G to her students—arrived at Springfield High School as the new assistant principal, racial tension filled the campus and fights were at an all-time high. Although Springfield was the most diverse school in Lane County, students of color were not represented in AP/Honors courses, athletics, clubs, leadership, or other activities, which led to many of these students feeling marginalized, not accepted, and therefore disengaged. Ms. G needed to find a way to address these issues and she knew she could not do it herself. She needed help but, most importantly, she needed to hear other voices—and who better to share their voices about school and change than the students. After gathering and analyzing the data, the Use Another Word campaign was born, created by the students, to help change language that might lead to students feeling unwelcome or unheard at Springfield.

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INTRO

OBJECTIVES

RESOURCES

REFLECTION

STEPS & GUIDANCE

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